The Cure
A Foolish Arrangement
Transcribed by: Andrew Tay
Key: Bm
Arrangement: 2 electric guitars, bass
Tab source: audio
Accuracy: at least 92%
Tabbed by: Andrew Tay (aka Ant) January 1996
aktay@zeus.uwaterloo.ca
Hello all. This is tab for The Cure's "A Foolish Arrangement". If you've
never heard of this song, it means you don't have the "A Letter to Elise"
single, which seems to be the only place you can find it. I had to work it
out from my CD player, which was tough. But it could've been worse--at least
there aren't any overdubs!
BASS - INTRO/VERSE
------------------
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
A|-2---2-2-2/4-5-7-|---7-7---7-5-4-5-|---5-5---5-4-5-4-|---4-4---4-4-4-4--|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
D|-----------4-5-4-|---4-4---4-4-4-4-|-5---5-5-5-4-----|------------------|
A|-7---7-7-7-------|-----------------|-------------5-7-|---7-7---7-7-7\\\\\
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
BASS - CHORUS
-------------
G|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|-----------4-5-4-|---4-4---4-4-4-4--|
A|-4---4-4-4-5-4-5-|---5-5---5-7-5-7-|---7-7---7-------|------------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
repeat 2x for the first chorus, 4x for the second
GUITAR 1 - INTRO/VERSE
----------------------
This is Porl's fast rhythm part. Use some overdrive, but not too much.
Since you're playing arpeggios, you should let it ring throughout--except
for the Bm part which is really a scale.
Bm(no shape) Emadd9 Dmaj6/9 Aadd9/C#
e|-----------------|---------2-------|---------0-------|------------------|
b|-----------------|-------0---------|-------0---0-----|---------0--------|
g|-----4---2-0-----|---0-------------|---2-------------|-------2----------|
d|-------------4-2-|---------------0-|-----------------|---2--------------|
a|-2---------------|-----------------|---------------4-|------------------|
e|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
Emadd9 Dadd9/F# Gmaj6 Aadd9
e|---------2-------|---------0-------|---------0-------|---------7...\\\\\\
b|-------0---0-----|-------3---------|-------3---------|-------5----------|
g|-----0-----------|---2-------------|-----4-----------|---6--------------|
d|-2-------------4-|-----------------|-5-----------5-7-|------------------|
a|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
e|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
...and here are the corresponding chord shapes:
Emadd9: xx2002 Dadd9/F#: xx4230
Dmaj6/9: xx0200 Gmaj6: xx5430
Aadd9/C#: x4220x Aadd9: xx7657
note that in the 3rd verse, Porl replaces the Dmaj6/9 part with this riff:
Dmaj9
e|-----|-----------0-
b|---3-|---------3---
g|---2-|---2-2-------
d|---0-|---0---------
a|-----|-------------
e|-----|-------------
4 . 1 . 2 . 3 .
GUITAR 1 - CHORUS
-----------------
F#m7 Gmaj9 A D/F#
e|-----------------|-----------------|---------0-------|---------2--------|
b|---------2-0-----|---------0-------|-------2---------|-------3----------|
g|-------2-----2---|-------2---------|---2-------------|---2--------------|
d|-----2-----------|---4-----------2-|---------------4-|------------------|
a|-4-------------5-|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
e|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
GUITAR 2 - MAIN THEME
---------------------
This is song's main theme, as played by Robert. As usual, it is *much*
easier to play than Porl's part, and isn't too easy for guitar wimps like
me to screw up ;-). He uses lots of flanger throughout. Also, he slides
between different frets, but I won't indicate it for clarity.
e|-12-12-12-12-10-10-10-10-|-9-9-9-9-7-7-7-7-|-5---5---2-2---0-|-let-ring-|
b|-------------------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------|
g|-------------------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------|
d|-------------------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------|
a|-------------------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------|
e|-------------------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------|
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 2 3 4
e|-5---5---2-2---0-|-let-ring--------|-2---2---5-5-5-0-|-let-ring---------|
b|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
g|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
d|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
a|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
e|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
GUITAR 2 - VERSE
----------------
Robert plays this subtle bit through all the verses. It's actually
quite difficult to catch, since it blends in so well with the first guitar
--I guess that's the idea. Most of the tiime, he plays it softly so that
it isn't distinct, but then he'll play a few notes louder to emphasize
certain parts. If the there's any flanger on this part, it's very slight.
e|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
b|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
g|-----------6-7---|-----------------|-6-------6-7-6---|------------------|
d|-9-------9-----9-|-let-ring--------|---------------9-|-let-ring---------|
a|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
e|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
e|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
b|-7-------7-------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
g|-----------9-7---|-----------------|-6-------6-7-6---|------------------|
d|---------------9-|-let-ring--------|---------------7-|-let-ring---------|
a|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
e|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
GUITAR 2 - CHORUS
-----------------
Bring the flanger back in full effect (no pun intended ... well. maybe).
e|-----------------|----------------|------------------|---------------------|
b|-----------------|----------------|------------------|---------------------|
g|-6---6---6-7-6/7-|---7-7---7-9-7..//9---9---9-9-9/11-|---11-11---11-11-11\\\
d|-----------------|----------------|------------------|---------------------|
a|-----------------|----------------|------------------|---------------------|
e|-----------------|----------------|------------------|---------------------|
1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 .
KEY
---
x/y pick x, slide up to y
x\y pick x, slide down to y
x../y sustain note x for the time indicated before sliding up to y
(
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